Facing the ire of people over the midday meal tragedy, the Bihar govt plans to provide printed instructions to school principals about food quality and safety besides painting the norms on the schools walls.

The instructions being prepared with the help of food experts will include giving knowledge to principals about first aid measures in cases like that of Dharmasati Gandaman primary school in Saran district.

The Bihar midday meal director said that besides providing printed instructions about safety and quality of food to be served under the programme, the details would be painted on the walls of schools for everyone to see and follow.

As the death toll from the tragedy at a primary school in Bihar state rose to 23, police stepped up their investigation, including the possibility the free lunches given to the children were deliberately poisoned.

It has been widely lauded as one of the most successful welfare measures in India, home to a quarter of the world's hungry, because it also boosts school enrolments and helps children to continue studies. For millions of poor families, the lunch is the only full meal their children eat in a day.

The nationwide scheme feeds some 120 million youngsters every day and is seen as key to persuading parents who are battling poverty to send their children to school rather than condemn them to illiteracy and malnutrition. But since dozens of pupils fell ill at a primary school in the eastern state of Bihar, reports have emerged of other mass hospitalisations and even maggots being found in some meals.

"The chief minister of Bihar instead of showing promptness in evacuating the children to a better medical facility has announced a ex-gratia amount of Rs 2 lakh for the children who died after having a midday meal. This showcases the insensitivity and the callous attitude," said BJP spokesperson Rajiv Pratap Rudy in Delhi.

Hundreds of people have been protesting in Saran since late Tuesday night, demanding strict action against government officials responsible for the tragedy. Twenty dead children were buried near the school.